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Melbourne Citymission

Melbourne Citymission. Melbourne Citymission: Responding to Service Provision in a Human Rights Framework. Promotes independence , human dignity, and living standards by Delivering services in accordance with human rights principles

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Melbourne Citymission

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  1. Melbourne Citymission

  2. Melbourne Citymission: Responding to Service Provision in a Human Rights Framework • Promotes independence , human dignity, and living standards by • Delivering services in accordance with human rights principles • Considering and describing clients’ issues in human rights terms • Formulating and seeking remedies using human rights tools • Human rights are common sense and can improve lives • Charter enshrines basic principles of good policy and service delivery: dignity, respect, fairness, non-discrimination, participation, transparency and accountability) • Improved framework for design and delivery of public services

  3. Human Rights in the Charter • Derived from the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) F reedom: movement, assembly and association, expression, religion and belief, liberty, fair hearing R espect: life, protection of families, cultural rights E quality: non-discrimination, equal recognition D ignity: torture and cruel treatment, privacy and reputation, humane treatment in detention A utonomy: taking part in public life

  4. Melbourne Citymission: 1854 • Most services based in the North & West Melbourne • Several Statewide Services • ABI; Justice; Youth • 700 staff members • 6 different service types • 72 different programs

  5. Vision A fair and just community wherepeople have equal access to opportunities and resources. Purpose We build inclusive communities that overcome disadvantage.

  6. Justice Programs: In Partnership • Womens Integrated Support Program in partnership with VACRO and Jesuit Social Services (sub-contract Flat Out) • W4W employment program • Family Support at Dame Phyllis Frost Centre • SWEP: Social Support • Cairnlea: Social Housing • Prison Network Ministry Volunteer Coordinator

  7. Activities of Support: Consistent with a Human Rights Approach: WISP • Accommodation • Drug and Alcohol • Family Reunification • Employment Education and Training • Financial Debt • Mental Health • Social Support • Physical Health • Disability • Sexual Assault

  8. Most Relevant Rights: UK Institutions • Right to respect to privacy and family life - 46% • Right to a Fair Hearing - 44% • Right to Liberty and security of the person – 23% • Prohibition on discrimination – 14% • Freedom from torture and cruel treatment – 13% • Right to Life – 10% Housing /homelessness • Right to privacy and family life – 80% • Right to a Fair Hearing – 40%

  9. What Issues May the Charter Engage • In the UK, The Human Rights Act is generally engaged in cases which raise principles of civil liberty, legality and human dignity. • Judicial Review Patterns under UK (descending order by volume)

  10. Public Authority and Melbourne Citymission Justice Programs • What is a ‘public authority’? (s 4) • Core public authorities • ‘Functional’ public authorities (ie, entities discharging ‘functions of a public nature’) • Public Funding • Functions connected to or identified with government • WISP and the strategic alliance is most likely to fall under the this section

  11. Reflections from the UK: Impact on Policy and Service Delivery • Awareness-raising, education and capacity building around human rights can empower people and result in: • Better public service outcomes • Improved levels of consumer satisfaction • More flexible, individualised and responsive policies and practices • Core principles of the Charter can trigger new thinking and help decision-makers ‘see seemingly intractable problems in a new light’ • Language and ideas of rights can be used to secure positive changes not only to individual circumstances, but also to policies and procedures

  12. Clarity Administrative Processes • OoH Segment Panel: determines whether people experiencing recurring homelessness are eligible to obtain priority public housing by being accepted on the segment one waiting list. • Right to a Fair hearing • Right to a procedural fairness • Right to legal advice and representation • Social Housing providers? • Child Protection Orders • Child in Custody arrangements • New regime of pre-birth notifications • Substantial/extreme risk to the child • Spent convictions and disclosure of prior offences/police records • Managerialism • The Charter is enabling rather than blocking

  13. Implementation • PILCH Audit • Practise Manuals • Pamphlets • Client feedback • Client participation • Privacy • Training • Volunteers • Reporting • Advocacy

  14. “ Australia remains a land respectful of human dignity, including of its prisoners Unlike the US it would never tolerate excluding millions (or thousands) of its citizens from the vote because of past convictions ” Justice Michael Kirby: Speaking after the High Court overturned the Howard Governments ban on prisoners right to vote.

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